Chief thanks officers for 'a job well done' at awards ceremony

Varner, Matsik honored for actions on duty

Officer Mike Matsik applauds Postal Service worker Gary Davis during an awards ceremony at the Lubbock Police Department on Friday. Both Davis and Matsik were recognized after Matsik was struck by a car and Davis helped keep the officer alive.

Officer Mike Matsik, front, hugs Postal Service worker Gary Davis during an awards ceremony at the Lubbock Police Department on Friday. Both Davis and Matsik were recognized after Matsik was struck by a car and Varner assisted in helping keep the officer alive.

Military Order of the Purple Heart Commander John Murdock, left, awards Officer Tim Varner a Purple Heart plaque during an awards ceremony at the Lubbock Police Department on Friday. Varner was shot outside the Salvation Army.

The auditorium in the Lubbock Police Department struggled to hold the people and emotions gathered to witness a promotion and awards ceremony Friday afternoon, Feb. 14.

The Lubbock police force has had several officers in well-publicized brushes with death in recent months.

The department and the Military Order of the Purple Heart took time to honor the officers and their families for their courage, which was sometimes under fire.

“We can’t do what we do — certainly not as well — without the love and support of our families,” said Chief Roger Ellis.

Ellis said officers do good things every day, but the officers honored Friday were nominated by their peers for actions that went above and beyond.

“It’s not something we just give away lightly,” Ellis said.

Along with the seven officers who were given awards, U.S. postal worker Gary Davis was honored for his actions last month when he came to the aid of Officer Mike Matsik.

Matsik was in a foot chase with a man when a woman accomplice struck Matsik with her car, according to police reports. Matsik suffered a serious cut on his head, but was given aid by Davis until EMS arrived.

“Officer Matsik gave us a scare last month,” Ellis said. “He’s got a little scar on his head to show for it.”

On Jan. 10, Ellis said Davis saw Matsik get hit by a car and get “catapulted” through the air. Seeing that Matsik was injured, Davis took off his shirt and applied it to Matsik’s head wound.

“You may have very well saved Officer Matsik’s life,” Ellis said.

Officer Tim Varner was seriously injured in October when, police say, Jeremy Moor shot him several times in front of the Salvation Army on 16th Street. Varner returned fire and wounded Moor, who survived his injuries.

Cpl. Chad Wurm and Officer Collin Sherley were also sent to the Salvation Army for Moor, who was reportedly drunk, suicidal and armed with a pistol. Varner arrived first and got Moor out of the pickup truck where he had been holding a man at gunpoint.

“The suspect said he was thinking of ending it all and he knew the Salvation Army staff had called the police,” Ellis said. “He said they were not going to take him.”

Varner’s decision to get Moor out of the truck saved the other man’s life, Ellis said, but put his own in danger.

“The suspect exited the vehicle and immediately began firing his pistol at you,” Ellis said. “You were struck multiple times by the suspect’s gunfire, but you stood your ground and heroically returned fire, striking the suspect and ending the gunfight.”

When Wurm and Sherley arrived they came to Varner’s aid and used items from a trauma kit to control bleeding from Varner’s leg wound. The officers used a tourniquet and combat gauze for a gunshot in Varner’s left leg.

“Thanks to your prompt and decisive action you were able to assist in saving Officer Varner’s life,” Ellis said.

Varner and Matsik were given Purple Heart Awards by Commander John Murdoch from Lubbock’s Military Order of the Purple Heart.

In July, Officer Mario Sandoval was sent to a home in the 1100 block of 44th Street to speak with a man, who said his 17-year-old son was threatening to jump off the 42nd Street bridge.

“Officer Sandoval drove to the 42nd Street bridge and located the 17-year-old straddling the bridge with one leg hanging over the edge,” Ellis said.

Sandoval called for other police cars to block off the interstate and the bridge. He also called for a negotiator, Officer Keith Anguish.

“He developed a rapport with the young man and maintained a conversation with him,” Ellis said.

Officers were able to pull the teen to safety when he tried to hand them his cellphone to give to his father.

“Thanks to their quick, decisive actions they were able to save his life,” Ellis said. “Thank you both for a job well done.”

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I've been a police officer for 30 years...... I have injuries way more severe than this officers and I dealt with it. Really? I can't believe these guys are getting recognized for superficial injuries...give me a break.....Maybe we should look at the veterans in the mid east and compare....WHAT JOKE!!!!

I've been a police officer for 30 years...... I have injuries way more severe than this officers and I dealt with it. Really? I can't believe these guys are getting recognized for superficial injuries...give me a break.....Maybe we should look at the veterans in the mid east and compare....WHAT JOKE!!!!

Really you think this is the time to bash the police awards? The purple hearts were given because their injuries were Rare and Unusual.

Sure law enforcement officers get bloody noses, broken limbs and beat up all the time but that is half the fun of the job. These two were put into life terminating situations and by the grace of God and their training they survived.

Most of the others awards were for helping someone survive, I bet whomevers life was saved think these officers deserve these awards.

Ofc. Mike Sandoval and Ofc. Jennifer Breazeale studied a mountain of books during their off duty time to make great scores on the corporals exam. There was no favoritism in picking who makes corporal it all comes down to who studies the hardest.

Of course being in law enforcement you should already understand the above.

The medal system at the LPD was started under Chief Walker. It is a way to publicly recognize a Lubbock officer to fellow officers and to their family and the public.

In the past if an LPD Officer did something considered Rare and Unusual the only thing the Chief or a Supervisor could really do is to give that officer a letter of commendation. This letter went into the officer's personnel file and basically no one ever knew of their deeds.

The Chief cannot give an officer a raise for his outstanding work nor can he advance him/her in rank. These metals are just a way to let the officers know their contributions and sacrifices matter and it gives the department a way to publicly show it.

I'm not sure why you are so hung up on the military and your own experience. These metals mean little outside of Lubbock but they mean a lot to the officer and his family and to me and in the end that is all that really matters.

I defend cops all day but what arrogance you have to believe that what you have done far outweighs anything these officers have done.

My son has about 10 years in law enforcement and about another 10 years of service in the army.

My son was a deputy with the LSO until hired on at the LPD. His wife got a job in the DFW metroplex and now my son works at a department in the metroplex. He works a night beat not as supervisor but as a line officer. His department chose him to be on the instructor for many of their inservice classes. He has been sent to many schools due his ability to pass what he has learned onto others.

My son served two tours in Iraq and was there on day one for the second Iraq war. He has been in the crap more than a few times and had to kill several enemy soldiers not because he wanted to but because it was his job and that is what he was trained to do.

Several chapters in the book, "One Weekend a Month" are stories about my son's accomplishments in Iraq. Whether it was in the army or on a police patrol he is the guy the other officers and soldiers were glad to see when the crap was hitting the fan.

He was diagnosed with a learning disability at a young age and he is not deaf but hearing impaired and will eventually lose all his hearing.

He never boast about his police work or his actions in the army and all he really talks about is his wife and kids. The only way I know most of this about my son is from the awards he has received or what I read in the book.

First I would like to thank you for your service to law enforcement. Second I'm sorry you never received the honors you feel you deserved. If you've been in law enforcement for 30 years then you are aware of how much it has changed over the course of your career in terms of acknowledging officers and what they deal with on a daily basis. I am troubled by your attitude now that you would begrudge fellow officers for being honored for their heroic actions. I would think you would be happy that the culture is changing so that law enforcement officers are appreciated and valued for their service to
the community. On a different note, from your comments I suspect you are not a humble man and/or woman and have become very jaded in your views of the occupation. What's wrong with going to work everyday, doing the best job you can, with the skills & training you've been given, and just feeling good about yourself and what you do, knowing that you make a difference in the lives of others? If you didn't go into law enforcement with an attitude of helping others then you went into it for the wrong reasons. The job is never about you but always about others...that's true for any occupation. With your attitude I sincerely hope you are no longer on the force. My son is a police officer and I want to know that his fellow officer's have his back and protect him and encourage him to be the best he can be whether he earns awards or not. At the end of the day it's about knowing you're the best man you can be.

It appears that followthemoney seems to have a real problem with authority. I wonder if he had to appear (and lost) in front of Judge Medina. In any event, he could not have been a very good cop with the attitude he has. I wonder if he was fired for too much force.